'Murdering Kurds on the street': Syrian Druze warns of Islamist extremism

"The factions that took over Aleppo destroyed Christmas trees that were set up for the holiday; they are murdering Kurds in the streets," he noted.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF DECEMBER 2, 2024 09:27 Updated: DECEMBER 2, 2024 09:28

A Syrian rebel carries a weapon as he stands at the entrance of Saraqeb town in northwestern Idlib province, Syria. December 1, 2024. (photo credit: REUTERS/MAHMOUD HASSANO)

The rebel factions that took over Aleppo do not accept other religions than Islam, a resident of the Druze city of Suwayda in southwestern Syria told Israeli state broadcaster KAN on Monday. 

"The factions that took over Aleppo destroyed Christmas trees that were set up for the holiday. They are murdering Kurds in the streets," he noted, adding, "Their slogans are 'Jihad' and 'Allahu Akbar.'"

While he noted that the "current regime is dictatorial," the citizen of Suwayda added, "It allows freedom of religion and does not interfere in that domain, whereas the Islamists do not accept other religions in Syria. This is fundamentally different."

"The Syrians did not sacrifice what they sacrificed just to move from bad to worse. That is the source of concern," he told KAN. "We want the situation in Syria to improve, not deteriorate further."

With regard to Israel, he reportedly affirmed, "Our expectation from the State of Israel and the Druze in Israel is that their interest in Suwayda will be significant, as we, as Druze, do not want to be drawn into sectarian fighting. If we are attacked, we will fight with fierce determination."

Smoke rises as a member of the rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham drives on a motorbike in al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria November 29, 2024. (credit: REUTERS/Mahmoud Hasano)

Situation in Syria

On Friday night, Syrian rebels, led by the Salafi-jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), captured significant parts of Aleppo, east of Idlib, coercing the Syrian Army to redeploy.  

President Bashar al-Assad's regime has presented itself as a defender of minorities in the country, such as Alawites, from which Assad's family originates, Christians, and Druze. 

As such, many minority groups are perceived by the rebels as "pro-Assad."

Reuters, Yuval Barnea and Seth J. Frantzman contributed to this report.